Graphic Communications (GRC)

Course Outlines

Structure of course content

1. Overview of the field of computer graphics
   1. Career areas
      1. desktop publishing
      2. electronic prepress
      3. fine art & illustration
      4. web publishing
      5. graphic design
      6. animation
      7. multimedia
      8. digital video
   2. Training areas
      1. computer basics
      2. computer graphics
      3. typography & layout
      4. design process
      5. prepress production (print)
      6. troubleshooti
2. Computer basics
   1. The Macintosh interface
      1. bits, bytes, & disks
      2. operating system
      3. desktop & finder
      4. 4cons, cursors, menus & windows
      5. memory & storage
      6. modifier keys
   2. Hardware
      1. microprocessor (CPU)
      2. input peripherals—keyboard, mouse, graphic tablet, scanner
      3. output peripherals—monitor, printer
      4. storage devices—hard drive, removable media
   3. Software applications
      1. painting & image editing
      2. drawing & illustration
      3. page makeup
      4. 3D modeling & animation
      5. multimedia
      6. scanning
   4. Macintosh procedures
      1. starting up
      2. creating folders
      3. copying & selecting
      4. ejecting disks & deleting items
      5. opening files
      6. inputing
      7. saving & backing up files
      8. finding files
      9. printing documents
      10. closing, quitting & shutting down
      11. navigating
      12. basic troubleshooting
   5. Operating System components & resources
      1. system folder
      2. desk accessories
      3. Apple menu
      4. control panels
      5. aliases
   6. Issues
      1. Viruses
      2. Security
      3. Licensing & copyright
      4. Other legal & ethical issues
3. Hands-on introduction to computer graphic software
   1. Painting software
      1. terminology—bitmapped graphics, pixel, file size, anti-aliasing, CMYK and RGB.
      2. tools—paintbrush, pencil, spray can, paint bucket, eraser, lasso
      3. applications & introduction to Claris Paint
      4. painting assignment
   2. Drawing software
      1. terminology—object-oriented graphics, bézier curves, paths, anchor points, strokes and fills, file size, CMYK and spot colors
      2. tools—bézier/polygon (bézigon), pointer
      3. applications & introduction to Claris Draw
      4. drawing assignment
   3. Paint vs. Draw
      1. comparisons—advantages/disadvantages
      2. conversions—paint-to-draw (tracing); draw-to-paint
4. Terminology
   1. Resolution—image, monitor, printer & imagesetter
   2. File formats—EPS, TIFF, PICT, Paint, GIF, JPEG
   3. Color models—additive (RGB) & subtractive (CMYK, process and spot colors)
   4. Issues
      1. copyright terms & issues
      2. code of fair practice
      3. work for hire
      4. public domain, freeware, shareware & demoware software
      5. ergonomic—definition, devices & maladies
   5. Service bureaus
      1. definition
      2. function
      3. file preparation
5. Basics of 1-bit Scanning
   1. Using a flatbed scanner
      1. mode (bit depth)—B&W (1-bit); grayscale (8-bit); color (24-bit)
      2. resolution (dpi)
      3. scaling factor (%)
      4. file size
      5. procedure—preview, adjust settings, scan, save
   2. Post-scanning Procedures
      1. cropping
      2. erasing
      3. flipping
      4. rotating
   3. 1-bit scanning assignment
6. PageMaker basics
   1. Exploration of tools & features
   2. Overview of applications of desktop publishing
      1. advertisements
      2. stationery & business forms
      3. brochures, fliers & other colaterals
      4. annual reports
      5. periodicals
   3. Typography
      1. type measurement
      2. type classifications
      3. Postscript vs. True Type
      4. alignment, tacking & kerning
   4. Hands-on Assignment

GRC 104 Layout & Typography Fundamentals (2 credits)

1. Communication Process
2. Design Process
   1. Pre-design decisions
   2. Thumbnails
   3. Roughs
3. Design and Layout Basics
   1. Terminology
   2. Emphasis
   3. Dominant Element
   4. Contrast and Conflict
   5. Proximity
   6. Balance
   7. Unity
   8. Alignment
   9. Repetition
   10. Coherence
   11. Flow (Eye movement)
4. Typography Basics
   1. Terminology
   2. Basic Typograhic Rules
   3. Typesetting/Word Processing
   4. Fonts
5. Orientation to Page Layout software
   1. InDesign basics
6. Graphics
   1. Working with images
7. Using Color
   1. Color Models and Terminology
   2. Use of Color
   3. Defining and Applying Color

GRC 105 History of Graphic Design (2 credits)

1. Prologue to Graphic Design= the visual message from prehistory through the medieval era
   1. The invention of writing
   2. The Asian Contribution
   3. Alphabets
   4. Illuminated Manuscripts
2. The Graphic Renassance=the origins of European typography and design for printing
   1. Printing come to Europe
   2. The German Illustrated Book
   3. Renaissance Graphic Design
   4. An Epoch of Typographic Genius
3. The Industrial Revolution = the impact of industrial technology upon visual communication
   1. Typography for an Industrial Age
   2. Photography, the New Communication
   3. Popular Graphics of the Victorian Era
   4. The Art and Crafts Movement
   5. Ukiyo-e and Art Nouveau
4. The Modern Era = Graphic design in the first half of the twentieth century
   1. The Genesis of Twentieth - Century Design
   2. The Influence of Modern Art
   3. Pictorial Modernism
   4. A New Language of Form
   5. The Bauhaus and the New Typography
   6. The Modern Art Movement in America
5. The Age of Information — Graphic design in the global village
   1. The International Typographic Style
   2. The New School
   3. Corporate Identity and Visual Systems
   4. The Conceptual Image
   5. National Visions within a Global Dialogue
   6. Postmodern Design
   7. The Digital Revolution

GRC 107 Design Fundamentals (2 credits)

1. Prologue to Graphic Design— the visual message from prehistory through the medieval era
   1. The invention of writing
   2. The Asian Contribution
   3. Alphabets
   4. Illuminated Manuscripts
2. The Graphic Renassance—the origins of European typography and design for printing
   1. Printing come to Europe
   2. The German Illustrated Book
   3. Renaissance Graphic Design
   4. An Epoch of Typographic Genius
3. The Industrial Revolution—the impact of industrial technology upon visual communication
   1. Typography for an Industrial Age
   2. Photography, the New Communication
   3. Popular Graphics of the Victorian Era
   4. The Art and Crafts Movement
   5. Ukiyo-e and Art Nouveau
4. The Modern Era—Graphic design in the first half of the twentieth century
   1. The Genesis of Twentieth - Century Design
   2. The Influence of Modern Art
   3. Pictorial Modernism
   4. A New Language of Form
   5. The Bauhaus and the New Typography
   6. The Modern Art Movement in America
5. The Age of Information—Graphic design in the global village
   1. The International Typographic Style
   2. The New School
   3. Corporate Identity and Visual Systems
   4. The Conceptual Image
   5. National Visions within a Global Dialogue
   6. Postmodern Design
   7. The Digital Revolution

GRC 109 Color & Design (2 credits)
GRC 110 Rendering & Illustration (2 credits)
GRC 111 Airbrush I (2 credits)
GRC 112 Airbrush II (2 credits)
GRC 119 Computer Graphics/Digital Media (2 credits) Prerequisite: GRC 103.
GRC 120B Color Scanning (1 credit) Prerequisite: GRC 103.
GRC 121B Intermediate Macintosh (.5-1 credit). Prerequisite: CIT 104 or a basic understanding of the MacOS
GRC 125B Graphics Software (.5-1 credit)
GRC 140 Electronic Publishing I (2 credits) Prerequisites: GRC 103 and GRC 104.

1. Principles of Electronic Publishing
1. Traditional vs. Electronic
2. Terminology
2. Orientation to Page Layout software using Quark XPress and Adobe InDesign for Macintosh or Windows
3. Publication/Document Design Principles
1. Basic Layout Terminology
2. Layout Design & Specifications
3. Type & Graphic Usage
4. Templates, Style Sheets, Master Pages
4. Typesetting/Word Processing
1. Fonts
2. Type Terminology
3. Creating, Importing, & Manipulating Text
4. Paragraph Formatting, Tables & Lists
5. Graphics
1. Creating with Quark XPress and InDesign tools
2. Importing & Manipulating within Quark XPress and InDesign
6. Electronic Page Assembly
7. Scanning & Image/Graphic Enhancement
1. Review of Line Art Scanning
2. Halftones & B&W Continuous Tone Scans
8. Designing and Using Color
9. Outputting
1. Creating Separations & Printing
2. Service Bureau Services
3. Pre-flighting files

1. Internet / Web basics
1. Brief history
2. Standards
3. Technologies (email, ftp, http)
4. Browser basics
2. Web Design overview
1. Web as a medium
2. Client side / Server side
3. Web generations
4. Web Page standards (navigation, download speed, understandability, stickiness, content, design)
5. Form vs. Function
6. Design issues
7. User Interface Design
1. Interface usability issues
2. Navigational design and usability issues
1. Navbars
2. Template
3. Web Page Elements
1. Basic HTML construct, building blocks*
1. Editing code
2. Working with images
3. Working with links
   1. Kinds (relative, absolute, anchors, email, image)
   2. Making/editing links
   3. Changing colors
4. Insert and playing media
5. Using the Code Reference, Quick Tag Editor.
6. Selecting Parent and Child Tags.
7. Inserting Comments.
8. Setting HTML Preferences.
9. Cleaning Up HTML.
2. XHTML
3. Color
1. Web safe, setting page/background color
4. Formats—images, multimedia
4. Production Tools
1. HTML editors
2. WYSIWYG applications
1. Dreamweaver
2. Setting up a local site
1. Site Window
2. Moving Files
3. Managing Asset
3. Other applications
1. Image Editor
2. Animation
3. Audio
4. Video
5. Pre-production
1. Acquiring the web project (initial contact to contract)
2. Planning
1. Flowcharting
2. Templates
3. Title Blocks
3. Setting up the work environment (browser, FTP client, web editor)
6. Layout and Design
1. Design principles (clarity, consistency, unity, contrast, simplicity, structure, emphasis)
2. Design issues (color, frames, fonts, resolution, browser inconsistencies)
3. Fonts and typography
1. Formatting type
2. Special Characters,
3. Spelling Check
4. Lists (Dreamweaver and HTML)
4. Cascading Style Sheets
1. Applying, removing, creating, editing
5. Controlling layout design
1. Frames
1. Good, bad, and ugly
2. Navigation with frames
3. Setting up a frameset
2. Tables
1. Setting up, adjusting, adding/removing rows and columns
2. Merging/spitting cells
3. Aligning
4. Working in Standard View
3. Image Tables
1. Slicing/assembling images
4. Graphics with Image maps
5. Flash
6. PDF
7. CSS positing and layers
1. Absolute vs. Relative
2. Creating, selecting, renaming, moving, resizing
6. Creating mockups in a graphic editor (Illustrator . Photoshop)
7. Accessibility and Internationalization issues
8. Content Creation
1. Writing for the web
2. Capturing, preparing images (scanning, digital cameras)
1. Inserting images
2. Optimizing
3. Rendering type
4. Animation
1. Creating, using animated GIFs
2. Basic SWF animation
1. Creating Flash Objects in Dreamweaver
3. DHTML
5. Digital audio/video overview
9. Interactivity, Feedback
1. Rollovers
2. Forms
1. Creating, formatting (text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, menus/lists)
2. Submit/Reset buttons
3. Email
4. Other types (programmed, database-driven, user-to-user)
5. Scripts
1. Status bar message
2. Popup message
3. Preload images
10. Site Testing and Optimization
1. Site check (consistency, links, browser compatibility, media, code validation)
2. Speed optimization
3. Usability testing
11. Implementation, Marketing
1. Client sign-off
2. Uploading and launching
3. Search engine listings
4. Banner ads
5. Advertising and other offline strategies
12. Hosting
1. Housing the site
2. Name registration
3. Service providers